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Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

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Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#11

Revenue is secured. They have another deal with Google worth ~500M a year for the next few years. But for growing it and for the future of the browser that’s TBD imo

I really don't understand how that is not enough to fund Firefox and Servo for well over a decade.

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#12

Personally and strictly my own ignorant and informal opinion, Firefox and by extension Mozilla Corp. was doomed the moment it decided to compete with Chrome by being more like Chrome. Firefox built its userbase by being different than the dominant browser, then decided the only way to not die was to be exactly like the dominant browser except with less icky behind-the-scenes privacy behavior. That was a fundamental m…

Who cares about the version number?

Come on. People don‘t pick a browser based on a too high or too low version number.

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it hard to disagree with this sentiment. I don't use firefox as my main browser because it's better than Chrome, I use it because it's not google.

I find I am not missing anything in terms of features or stability since the quantum engine except perhaps bookmark management being a bit clunky. If you truly prefer chrome why not use a chromium browser that is not Google? (Brave for example)

I question the longevity and/or motives of institutions maintaining any of those builds other than possibly Microsoft.

And believe me, if you would have asked me if trusting Microsoft was the safe bet 20 years ago, I would have said you were nuts. But here we are.

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#14

Revenue is secured. They have another deal with Google worth ~500M a year for the next few years. But for growing it and for the future of the browser that’s TBD imo

Why would google fund a direct competitor unless they thought it was to their advantage? I don’t see how this helps Firefox Users.

Google’s business is search engine and advertising, not browser market share.

Also helps with an anti-trust case.

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#15
I have to say this is one of the instances where I’m glad Apple’s hunger for profit and privacy engineering intersect. On Mac at least with Safari there is a privacy oriented browser left.

Maybe Apple could revive Safari on Windows?

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#16

Revenue is secured. They have another deal with Google worth ~500M a year for the next few years. But for growing it and for the future of the browser that’s TBD imo

Why would google fund a direct competitor unless they thought it was to their advantage? I don’t see how this helps Firefox Users.

Google wants to control search. If they don't pay, some other company will pay for the search traffic.

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#17

Personally and strictly my own ignorant and informal opinion, Firefox and by extension Mozilla Corp. was doomed the moment it decided to compete with Chrome by being more like Chrome. Firefox built its userbase by being different than the dominant browser, then decided the only way to not die was to be exactly like the dominant browser except with less icky behind-the-scenes privacy behavior. That was a fundamental m…

The challenge with not competing with Chrome is that websites are now mostly developed with Chrome as the dev-tool. Even large companies are just optimizing for that one browser: https://thenextweb.com/dd/2017/11/28/please-build-websites-w... How many users are going to be willing to put up with stuff not working until they switch?

Functioning like Chrome in rendering and page features doesn't mean Firefox has to behave like Chrome in the UX. For example, why gut the ability of people to skin and customize their browser as they see fit? Why is Mozilla involved in a running battle against users who want the tabs below the address bar? Why entirely prevent us from sideloading extensions instead of letting us turn the ability on and off?

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#18

Personally and strictly my own ignorant and informal opinion, Firefox and by extension Mozilla Corp. was doomed the moment it decided to compete with Chrome by being more like Chrome. Firefox built its userbase by being different than the dominant browser, then decided the only way to not die was to be exactly like the dominant browser except with less icky behind-the-scenes privacy behavior. That was a fundamental m…

The challenge with not competing with Chrome is that websites are now mostly developed with Chrome as the dev-tool. Even large companies are just optimizing for that one browser: https://thenextweb.com/dd/2017/11/28/please-build-websites-w... How many users are going to be willing to put up with stuff not working until they switch?

This is the main thing I’m concerned with. Instead of adhering to an open standard, everything becoming ‘whatever google says goes’.

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#19

Revenue is secured. They have another deal with Google worth ~500M a year for the next few years. But for growing it and for the future of the browser that’s TBD imo

Let me iterate on my comment from the Manifesto submission [1]

Their number one point is:

>The Internet is an integral part of modern life—a key component in education, communication, collaboration, business, entertainment and society as a whole.

Mozilla can use the internet and spend their billions on young third-world talents and offer them a job that educates them in web- and browser development. They only have to be in the bay area if they want copying Google to be their number one priority.

There could be thousands of engineers working on Firefox and servo with the benefit that

1) they would develop content that would be guaranteed to work on Firefox and secure Mozilla's position. They would have a path to a growing user base that would lead to an even bigger Google income.

2) there would be a career path without the need for immigration for third world talent, which would end colonial economy dependencies and make the world a better place.

With such an engineering force, they could enter plenty of markets and won't depend on the Google money in the future.

The good thing is, Firefox and Servo is open source. If Mozilla doesn't want to do it, some other player can.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24165284

Re: Mozilla’s Uncertain Future

#20
post #12

Personally and strictly my own ignorant and informal opinion, Firefox and by extension Mozilla Corp. was doomed the moment it decided to compete with Chrome by being more like Chrome. Firefox built its userbase by being different than the dominant browser, then decided the only way to not die was to be exactly like the dominant browser except with less icky behind-the-scenes privacy behavior. That was a fundamental m…

Who cares about the version number? Come on. People don‘t pick a browser based on a too high or too low version number.

Exactly my point. Mozilla used a rational numbering scheme where the larger the change, the larger the increment, with full integers being reserved for major changes. Then Chrome started changing its integer every few weeks and Firefox upended its own scheme to keep from looking unfashionable.
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